Defining Curriculum – Reflective Questions

Defining ‘Curriculum’

Defining the term ‘curriculum’ to everyone’s satisfaction is probably an impossible task. But we do need to agree on some sort of working definition.

Definitions of the word curriculum do not solve curriculum problems: but they do suggest perspectives from which to view them (Stenhouse, 1975: 1).

Reflective Questions

1. How do you differentiate between those activities that are part of a curriculum in an educational setting and those that are not and those that you consider are borderline or doubtful? (Disagreements here may reflect different concepts of curriculum or of education) Is there any way of showing that some are right and some are wrong or do we have to ‘agree to differ’?
2. To what extent are all of the observable interactions between teacher and students part of the curriculum?

Discuss your views with your partners to find out whether or not there seems to be general agreement on the placing of activities and on the criteria?

3. How can we principally distinguish between ‘the curriculum’ and those voluntary activities commonly referred to as ‘extra-curricular’?

By way of summary, write down what you would regard as satisfactory working definition of ‘curriculum’.

Different Perspectives

Broadly speaking, there are two different views of the curriculum:

1. One which emphasizes plans and intentions (e.g. a set of indented learning outcomes or a written statement of syllabus content), and
2. One which emphasizes activities and effects (e.g. accounts of what teachers and learners actually do in classrooms or of the knowledge and skills acquired by the learners, whether intended or not).

Elements of Curriculum

A simple way of looking at curriculum is to divide it up into a series of basic elements or phrases. There are four fundamental questions which must be answered in developing any curriculum and plan of instruction. These are:

1. What educational purposes should the institution seek to attain?
2. What educational experience can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?
3. How can these educational experiences be effectively achieved?
4. How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained?

All curricula, no matter what their particular design, are composed of certain elements.

1. the statement of aims and intended learning outcomes;
2. a statement of content, assessment, learning interactions to achieve the ends;
3. resource plan detailing people, materials, time, facilities, texts, references, readings, etc. needed;
4. an implementation plan - assigns responsibility for who should do what, when and where
5. a plan for monitoring and evaluating the success of delivery and making adjustments to improve achievements.